JVC's new Xtreme Xplosives line has a name that conjures all sorts of imagery, but excellent headphones aren't the first thing that comes to mind. When the highest-priced offering in the line, the HA-M5X, costs $49.95 list, however, expectations aren't very high. The headphones just need to be better than the standard-issue iPod earbuds, for which a replacement pair somehow costs $29 despite offering an audio experience worth about 99 cents. In this regard, the HA-M5X succeeds wildly. A $50 headphone won't likely sound sublime, but the HA-M5X handles deep bass at high volumes without distorting and blows just about any pair of bundled earbuds out of the water.

One look at these headphones is either going to elicit "oohs" or "ewws"there is no in-between here. The HA-M5X is primarily black plastic, bulky in design, but not terribly heavy. Over long listening periods, the headband, which has a modern camouflage pattern on the cushion, can start to feel a bit uncomfortable. The circumaural, memory-foam-padded cups fully enclose the ear and remain comfortable for the duration of most listening sessions, but after a long period can get a little uncomfortable as well. A bright red cable falls from each ear cup and combines into one 3.5mm connection is reminiscent of Monster's Beats Pro by Dr. Dre ($449.95, 4 stars), though the cable here is round, not flat. The big stencil style letters that spell "XX" on each ear, as well as "LEFT and "RIGHT" seem a little ostentatious and unnecessary, as if the whole point of the headphones is to look tough. (These are the Hummer of headphones, really.) More than anything else, they look a little cheapand they are. But here's what really matters: they do not sound like cheap headphones.

Our HEAD Acoustics ACQUA frequency response tests show us how the JVC HA-M5X stacks up against other headphones pairs, in terms of overall audio performance. The bass response of the HA-M5X is lower, for instance, than the Monster Beats Pro, which seems only natural, but more intense than the excellent soundingand far more balancedBowers & Wilkins P5 Mobile Hi-Fi Headphones ($299.95, 4.5 stars). Both of those headphone pairs, though, are far more expensive than the HA-M5X. A comparison to the Shure SRH440 Professional Studio Headphones ($99.99, 4 stars), which is still twice the price (we rarely test $50-level headphones because they are typically not up to snuff), shows that the HA-M5X, unsurprisingly, has significantly more bass response than the SRH440, which is intended to be flatter and used for recording studios.

Despite being able to reproduce seriously deep bass at high volumes, like the drum hits in The Knife's "Silent Shout" without distortion, the rest of the JVC pair's frequency range feels a bit off. The words that come to mind are nasally and tinnythe high frequencies sometimes sound pinched, or exaggerated. The strings in "The Chairman Dances" from John Adams sound abrasive at times, with the brass sounding particularly harsh. It's not an awful listening experience, but it is the sound of budget drivers at work. The HA-M5X is not nearly as high quality as any of the headphones we've set it up against, but at least you get an idea of the sound signature this budget pair providessomewhat less than booming bass (but definitely not flat) and a sculpted, tinny high frequency response.

Thanks to JVC, you can have a powerful pair of headphones that conveys the low bass frequencies that are so much a part of modern music, without distorting. That alone is rare enough in this price range to forgive most of its drawbacks, like the tinny high frequency response and the bizarre design. If you can spend a little more, the Grado SR60 ($79, 4 stars) is an excellent affordable option, though it lacks deep bass response and projects sound outward a bit, so other commuters may hate you. If you're not against wearing in-canal earphones, you have more options. Check out the Shure SE215 ($119, 4 stars), which sound great, with an overall balanced response, and a still-affordable price.

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